IOA has just denied the Indian Football team from participating, on grounds that their prospects of winning a medal is next to nil, in the Asian Games 2018. (Ludicrous). What the association doesnt understand is that only through competing in competitions like this can the quality of our National team improve to do better in future.
This is with the background of how India has improved visibly in the last three years, from 173rd ranked to 97th currently and have qualified for the Asian Games after 8 years. IOA has indeed taken a very myopic view.
What a contrast it is to the support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Sports Authority of India, with whose help we could organize a FIFA acclaimed International Tournament (FIFA U-17 World Cup) in India just the previous year.